Deadites

Now follow survivors,

Deadites are not zombies. Let's go into more detail, deadites can be a form of zombie. Zombies are a human body being controlled by a highly infectious curse. Some deadites possess human corpses and turn them into zombies but even this is a magical, demonic possession not the result of a virus.

Deadites are demons. They possess human (or other living/once living) entities and control them. Deadites are also capible of a number of strange powers and transfirmations. Deadites can infect the body in any number of demonic, foul ways. The most horrific of which is the first possession in Evil Dead. A deadite is closer to a vampire then to a zombie.

To call a deadite a zombie is like to call an oven a chicken. Just because a deadite can create a zombie does not mean it is a zombie just as an oven is only one of many ways to cook a chicken.

The primary example of deadites is Sam Raimi's Evil Dead series. However deadites can be found in a number of films, -often under the name of zombie.- One such film is the short, "Jesus Saves" by Edmonton film makers Beyond the Darkness and Switchblade Cheeta.

It can be easy for the untrained eye to not see the difference in popular culture between a deadite and a zombie but I will list some of the differences here for you:

           Zombies                                                                 Deadites
           -Are only killed by a destroying the brain.        -Can be killed by massive
                                                                                               damage from a hero.
           -Do not think.                                                         -Think of very evil things.
           -Spread through infection.                                   -Spread through possesion
                                                                                               (battle of willpower.)
           -Can not speak.                                                      -Never shut up.
           -Have no emotions.                                                -Hate all living things.
           -Have no fear.                                                         -Are afraid of charismatic people
                                                                                                  and chainsaws.

As you can see the differences between zombies and deadites are quite important. Esspecially when asking the all important question for any monster hunter, "How do I kill it?" Zombies are fairly easy to kill one-on-one by destroying the brain. Deadites on the other hand are very hard to give final death to: it requires dealing massive amounts of damage to the deadites' possessed body such as with a chainsaw, shotgun or explosive and having the conviction and willpower to force the creature to stay dead. These however are still not enough to cause final death, the deadite must be mystically destroyed as well, this normally involves reading a passage from the Necronomicon or another Book of the Dead but can be done in other mystical means as well.

I hope that clears much of the confusion betweenthese two types of monsters, one of which is a very real threat and the other simply a tool for entertainment.

Be aware, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate, Mike D.